Equation
by Shadowsnatcher7
Summary: He started to scribble names and numbers down on paper and when he was finished, he looked down at the final result and frowned just a little. Ryan makes an equation and everyone from the East High gang fits into it somehow.
1. Sharpay's Poodle

Most people wouldn't call Ryan Evans book smart. Nice? Yes. Genuine? Check. Intelligent? Most people thought not. But at the very least, Ryan wasn't half bad at algebra and he certainly knew how to add. Sometimes there were days when he would stare off into space and wonder what his life would be like in ten years and what all the people surrounding him now would mean to him then. And he would get to thinking about life and his existence on earth and he would sometimes, he thought, get close to the answer. But then a hand would come slapping across his face, interrupting his world and he would lose it. Just like that.

In science, when they were learning about Albert Einstein and his formulas, he decided to come up with his own equation—one that defined his high school life. He started to scribble names and numbers down on paper and when he was finished, he looked down at the final result and frowned just a little. Because that little piece of paper said more about him than any picture ever would, and he wasn't sure that he liked what he was seeing.

♪♪♪♪♪♪♪

"Sharpay!" he had run out of Ms. Edward's class straight to his sister's locker, report card in hand. "Look, I got an A. Can you believe it? In math. _Math._" He smiled brightly at her, hoping she would celebrate with him.

"Look, Ryan, I don't really care. I've got more important things to think about," she had answered gruffly, barely even glancing at him.

And she had turned on her heel and walked away to gab with Lisa Clement about what dress would be glamorous enough to impress Troy Bolton at Spring Semi-formal a month from now.

That was why Sharpay had a negative next to her name:

_Ryan's life equals (-Sharpay)_

But later that week, when Ryan had come home from baseball practice worn out from all the physical activity and tired of being stretched too thin in all directions, he had found a stuffed animal on his bed. It was a pink poodle and next to it laid an envelope with his name written on it in familiar curvy handwriting. Inside the envelope that smelled vaguely like his sister's perfume, he discovered a short note written on flowerly paper.

_To Ryan:_

_Because you have to deal with being called 'Sharpay's poodle' and because you've never managed to complain about it. At least not in front of me. Congrats on your math grade._

_XOXO,_

_Sharpay_

_P.S. Because you're an idiot and you probably didn't notice, I made the necklace around the dog's neck_.

He had smiled and looked at the beaded necklace then headed straight to her room where he found a matching poodle sitting on Sharpay's dresser. She was sitting on the floor, but she looked up at him and giggled when he entered, "I couldn't resist getting myself one, too."

He had hugged her with as much brotherly affection as he could muster and mentally made a note to add a square to her name in his formula.

_Ryan's life equals (-Sharpay)2_

Because a negative squared always comes out positive.

**AN: Yeah, so that was really lame, but I needed something to get me out of my writer's block and this was the result. I couldn't get the 2 in the "squared" part of Ryan's formula to stay small, so I wrote it kind of weird...just so you understand, in case you were confused. And apparently the FF doesn't like the "equals" sign, so I had to write it out even though it looks ugly and un-mathlike. Um, please review with any constructive criticism. I know my tense was weird, so I need to fix that, but I'm not sure how. By the way, this is not a one shot. There is more coming... unfortunately, hahaha. :) Thanks for reading! **


	2. Taylor the Teacher

Ryan's Tuesdays were devoted to staying at the library after school with Taylor McKessie. After all, he wasn't exactly book smart, and he needed some help with AP Chemistry. In fact, he was terrible at chemistry, and he knew that he owed most of his C+ grade to Taylor and her incredible amount of patience. Originally he had asked her if she could do Thursdays, but she had smiled apologetically and told him that Thursdays were for Troy and math tutoring. He thanked her anyway, and soon found that he was immensely grateful that Taylor had made room for him at all in her busy schedule.

Their afternoons were often spent with him continuously struggling with a concept and her explaining it to him ten different ways until one of them clicked. Flames of red from Taylor's pen flicked across many of his papers and he would sigh at them disappointedly. Then she would decide that it was enough for today, and she would beam at him proudly for the work he had done and dismiss the lesson.

It wasn't until three months later that he decided their relationship was more than just one of student and tutor or "friend of a friend."

Troy had called her, asking if she wanted to join the basketball guys and Gabriella for ice cream after school—something Ryan obviously hadn't been invited to, as Taylor's side of the conversation indicated. Ryan saw her glance over at him across the library table, and he nodded to her that it was okay to leave him. Instead, she firmly but politely refused Troy's offer, even when Gabriella came on the phone to beg her to change her mind. Then she had hung up and went back to the lesson as if nothing had happened.

But it had bothered Ryan and he had trouble focusing on stoichiometry and ionic equations. "You didn't have to stay, Taylor," he had interrupted her, while she was explaining moles and solubility rules.

She hadn't bothered to stop writing and she didn't look at him as she spoke, "I stayed, Ryan, because the world does not revolve around lunk-headed basketball men."

But then she dropped her pencil and smiled at him reassuringly and the guilt that had been growing inside him dissipated. He resolved to stay extremely focused throughout the entire lesson and hardly noticed when an hour and half had passed.

"Ryan," she tapped him lightly on the shoulder, "You're doing fantastic. I really don't think you need my help to finish the rest of your homework."

He perused the worksheet in front of him and was surprised to find that most of it was done in his own handwriting. The markings of Taylor's red correction pen were scarce. Ryan's grin grew wider and wider and in the ecstasy of the moment he had announced to Taylor that he was taking her out to coffee, his treat.

And when they were met with the surprised glances of Troy and his buddies as the East High gang walked out of the popular little café and Ryan and Taylor walked in, she still didn't abandon him.

"Finally come to join us, Taylor?" they had asked.

Taylor shook her head and smiled, "Nope, I'm here with my friend Ryan."

She flashed a glowing grin Ryan's way as he held open the door for her and she strode in without taking a single glimpse back.

They sat and, though it seemed awkward at first, talked about life unreservedly, finding that they had a similar outlook, despite their outward differences. So when Taylor excused herself to go to the bathroom, Ryan took out his piece of paper and added her to the equation.

_Ryan's life equals (-Sharpay)__ 2__+ 3(Taylor)_

Miss McKessie times three for the three months it had taken him to realize that tutoring with Taylor on Tuesdays had made them friends.

**Please let me know what you think. I know, the tense still doesn't make sense. Anyway, s****o far I have something planned for every character except Jason. I mean, when do Jason and Ryan even interact, haha? Oh well, I guess I'll think of something. Maybe I won't include him. Thanks again for reading:) **


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